Alperen Sengun moved to day-to-day on Oct. 29, the same day a back problem put Reed Sheppard on the shelf. Houston takes a plus-14.1 margin per 100 possessions into Friday's Cup group game against a Mavericks team it already beat by 18.
October 21
The streak began at Toyota Center with a 128-110 win over Dallas. Four more wins followed. Houston is now 5-0 and atop the West, scoring 122.5 points per 100 possessions and allowing 108.4. That 14.1-point gap is wide enough to cover for missing players, and the power rankings have caught up, moving the Rockets from 6th to 2nd in a week.
October 28
Milwaukee's biggest lead was three points. Houston won 132-100 behind Fred VanVleet's 24 points on 7-of-14 shooting and Amen Thompson's 23 on 10-of-16. The reserves supplied 40 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic made 4 of 5 threes for 16 points in 15 minutes, 14 of them in the fourth quarter. Clint Capela filled in at center with 10 points, 8 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks.
October 29
The injury list changed. Sengun went from out to day-to-day with his back and has an estimated return of Oct. 30. Sheppard, newly listed with a back issue, is out and projected to return Oct. 31. Marcus Smart's left forearm also points to tonight. Steven Adams' calf keeps him sidelined until an estimated Nov. 2.
Tonight, October 30
Dusty May's Mavericks are 3-2 and have won two straight. They are thin up front, with Dereck Lively II and Santi Aldama out and Naji Marshall day-to-day with an illness. Cooper Flagg is the threat, averaging 25.3 points and 6.8 assists over four games. Sengun's answer, if he plays, is 24.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists a night.
Oct. 31 to Nov. 4
Oklahoma City visits Oct. 31, then Boston on Nov. 2 and Minnesota on Nov. 4: four games in six days. Space City Scoop argued that Houston has earned room to lighten Kevin Durant's load. Durant is 38 and averaging 34.3 minutes. How much Ime Udoka cuts that this week is the open question.
Is Alperen Sengun playing tonight against the Mavericks?
Sengun is listed day-to-day with a back issue, and his estimated return date is Oct. 30. That makes tonight in Dallas his projected comeback.
When will Reed Sheppard return for the Rockets?
Sheppard is out with a back issue and has an estimated return of Oct. 31, when the Thunder visit Houston.
